Wow, this film starts out with spunk, swank, pop.
A swinging sixty's tongue in cheek energy that
bounces like the singing ball from one fun character
to the next.
Renee Zellweger plays Barbara Novak, the small
town author with the woman-libbing book "Down With
Love" which encourages woman to abstain from sex
until they can play it like men -- ALA cart (without
love). Ewan McGregor is the man's man
playboy/journalist only interested in playing the
field. They clash/match with an "I Dream of Jeannie,"
Technicolor-saturated, poke fun of the sixty's from
the new millennium, sensibility.
This high-energy fun unfortunately weakens after
the film has acquainted us and its characters. With
only soapy game playing and ping-ponging left in the
plot, the freshness grows a bit stale.
And in the end, the film squanders any points it
might have had. Though, perhaps, its point was only
to entertain in a light fun way. Incidentally, the
picture is not above the risqué. An earlier
racy, but fun, sock discussion is followed later in
the film with a near tasteless split-screen visual
creating a rather sophomoric mood unbefitting of the
otherwise smarter feel of the film.
Not bad, but could have been something smashing.
Strong performances by Renee, Ewan and especially
David Hyde Pierce.
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